Unknown trade-off
by Demoness Kneesocks
Summary: Six muses about the group that joined Providence and one scientist in particular has caught his attention for unknown reasons. Part of my EVO!Holiday AU to give it context.


**AN: Yep, another fic from me. This one is also set in my AU because I am in love with the idea of EVO!Holiday and no one can take that away from me! This fic was also inspired by Addiction by GraeLiars, go give it a read!**

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"You know those will kill you?"

"…"

"Better than any bullet, those will mummify you from the inside out."

"…"

Six had wanted a break. It was one of those rare moments when he just couldn't stand anyone else least he demonstrate why he was the sixth deadliest man on the planet. He desperately craved some time for himself where he didn't have to be in charge of an annoying teen (sometimes two), a chimp and four scientists that somehow defied all logic of scientists being bug-eyed nerds, by being incredibly chirpy and attracted a lot of attention from the ranks.

Rex was being his annoying self, Coco and Noelle had taken onto themselves to blast KISS while practicing in the training room, Bobo had almost managed to get him with a whoopee cushion and just about anyone else seemed annoying to him ever since the almost last drop. He'd been lucky neither Dr. Saturday nor Dr. Holiday had met his path, not knowing if any of them would be the one to drive him over the cliff.

Every 'good morning' or 'how are you?' had grated on his nerves every step of the way on his path to the secluded balcony… Only for him to realize too late that somebody else had also wanted a break.

He'd been so fast at pulling his usually hidden pack of cigarettes and lighter, desperate for that first puff of nicotine that always managed to soothe his nerves, that he'd failed to look overhead and see the woman sitting on the roof with a surprised expression at his rehearsed moves.

"Never pegged you for having any vices, to be honest." She still kept her position, sitting with her legs perfectly poised together, behind the man that, theoretically, could end her life in one swift move.

Of course, it had to be her. Him and Dr. Holiday, Rebecca or Holly as her friends insisted on calling her on several occasions, seemed to have ended up bound by some sort of universal thread because they tended to bump into each other fairly regularly, even when she was not patching up Rex or measuring his biometrics. It was like a curse, the one of the three recluse scientists Providence ended up 'taking in' who'd managed to catch him by surprise with her very unusual ability, somehow had gotten his attention in some sort of way he hadn't quite deciphered yet.

"We are all allowed to have our vices, doctor." He swiftly pointed to the steaming mug she was cradling in her hands.

Jumping down and landing next to the assassin (without spilling a drop, rather impressive, he noted) she smiled in that way which seemed too real to be fake but he knew better than to trust someone so soon.

"Alright, but still mine won't pave my lungs like a highway."

"But it will make your heat race like it is traveling in one."

Blushing (was she really blushing?) she raised her mug and brought her shoulders closer to her body. "I don't need coffee for that." She murmured before taking a healthy gulp of the bitter liquid like it was something stronger.

Six took a good look at the woman in front of him for the first time since she'd come work for Providence. Her blouse, skirt and lab-coat were definitely formal, the way her long black hair was held in a bun also qualified as such, but those damned knee-high boots packed a bigger punch than he'd expected.

He knew from passing conversations and the information more than freely given to him by the twins that Holiday had done her best to fit in along with the others working for White, but she still wanted a little reminder of who she really was. Coco had once laughed and said that 'Holly' was a 'great gal that took crap from no one and drank just like a fish if needed'… just like the rest of them. If he'd met her in his younger, wilder days, she'd definitely haven been a woman after his own heart.

Six had a hard time seeing through the supposed disguise the woman wore, fitting her like a glove and making her seemingly a magnet that drew him in at any given instance.

Making a pause at her green eyes he couldn't help but notice how the blush (yes, she was definitely blushing) complimented them. Green… definitely unfair for someone so beautiful o have such gorgeous eyes. Wait, beautiful? Gorgeous? Where had those thoughts come from?

"Do I have something on my face?" Rebecca finally broke the silence and the pink disappeared from her cheeks, her form relaxing to her usual stance and one of her hands began wandering around them in search of something that was definitely not there.

It was at that moment he felt trapped.

He took another compulsory inhale of his cancer stick and thought about his choices. He could say nothing and make the moment even more awkward or come up with some excuse that would miraculously make the tension he'd created disappear. He certainly couldn't listen to that tiny little part of him stat was still as wild as in his young days least he end up tossing his cigarette aside, kissing her with all his might and leading anything that would generate from then on out to one of their bedrooms. Tempting, but he was a man with actual impulse control, although, hat did not answer the question of why he was thinking about her in such an inappropriate manner.

"No, nothing at all." Smooth move, he could hear himself facepalm in his own head.

"Oh…" She stopped her movements and stood still in front of him, unsure of what to say. Gosh, she was much better at small-talk when slightly intoxicated. "Sorry if I seemed a bit condescending, sixteen hours of nonstop work will scramble with your brain in ways you have no control over."

Another thing, she worked like her life depended on it while the others took their time and rarely pulled all-nighters like she was known for. A real mystery he had before him, she could be the loosest person in the room or the most uptight, depending on the situation she found herself in.

"You should get some sleep."

"I know, but I just… I just want things to be somewhat normal again."

"Somewhat?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind remaining like this, if that's what you're asking, or give up on my friendship with Drew, Coco and Noelle, but I would like to go home and have movie night with my parents and my sister again."

Her eyes held a longing nostalgia he somewhat envied. He hadn't had the possibility to grow up with a normal family but he had at least one person that would always be like a father to him.

"And your family would be alright with your decision?"

"I…I'm not sure. I haven't spoken to them in so long. To be honest I'm afraid of what they'll think of me."

"A manananggal is a creature to be feared."

"Hmph, you actually memorized the word. Most people around here just say 'weird vampire thing' and I can't blame them, being able to bisect in two and grow wings along with an abnormally huge tongue is indeed weird."

"I wouldn't call it weird, more…" he paused to take another drag of the cigarette held between his fingers. "unusual."

He would call it weird but he didn't want her to know that for some reason. He wanted her to… like him? He should know better than to try and get involved with coworkers, especially ones that looked like they could take your heart and step on if they wanted to on a whim. It was at that point he realized she smelled like peaches, probably shampoo or lotion, and he took another, more intense, drag to numb himself to the smell.

"Well, then I'm the most unusual of the four of us."

Doctor Rebecca Holiday was a beautiful woman with abnormal capabilities and great fighting abilities that managed to catch her enemies off-guard with the powers she'd been granted by the nanite explosion. Powers she did not intend on giving away easily and yet there she was, willingly working with the number one people who intended on reversing the effects of the world-altering event.

"No. That awards would certainly go to Miss Coco. She has the same propensity for trouble as Rex by this point. Imagine a fully grown woman helping out on a teenager's pranks." He whispered the last sentence beneath his breath, but he knew Holiday had caught on.

Coco was… Coco. There was no other way to describe her that didn't involve a long, lengthy list with words such as immature, reckless, childish but also smart, brave and very much deadly in every sense of the word. Claws that could slice flesh to ribbons could sprout from her hands and feet at any moment, along with powerful wings and could propel her at top speed, making her perfect to have as an ally in any fight. Sometimes she would make herself to be the dumb one of the group but Six could see the wisdom behind those sometimes predator-like eyes.

"Well, but she's still a good friend. After everything she went though it would be unfair to not let her cut loose and have some fun every now and then." Rebecca sighed and remembered the first time she heard the story the harpy had to tell. "Getting dumped by your fiancé just right before an almost apocalyptic event like that is… harsh. I wouldn't know what I would do."

"You had a fiancé before?" Why did his heart clench at that thought so much?

"No, but I'm just speculating." She sadly shook her head, for the brief moment she closed her eyes, couldn't see the relief in Six's posture. "Drew lost her husband, Coco her fiancé, Noelle could barely care to hold down anything remotely close to those two and, well, I was lost in my own world to see anyone else around me. Did you know I never even went to my own prom?"

Another piece of the puzzle that was Rebecca Holiday fell into place but he still failed to see the bigger picture. She still seemed to be the little nerd that grew up into a bigger nerd, not a trained scientist with fighting experience and a wild side that could take you for such a spin you ended up dizzy while she screamed for more excitement. He'd seen her back when Providence picked up Rex after they ragtag group took him in, her clothes looking like those of an anarchist, hair held in a wild ponytail with a few stray hairs and a war cry that could strike fear into the hearts of anyone who had the misfortune to go against her. Like him.

Six had experienced first-hand what the scientist with three PhD's could do and it left a few bruises. The alarm when she ran into his blade on purpose, seemingly impaling herself on it, only to detach her bottom and upper halves and proceed to knee him in the gut and punch him at the same time, still remained fresh on his memory. He'd never ran into someone who could fight like that, because no one could do what she could. It was obvious why she wanted to remain like that, it gave her confidence, an ace in her sleeve if anyone ever tried to get the upper hand on her.

The man hadn't noticed but they'd fallen into a comfortable silence while gazing at the sunset. His cigarette was long gone, most of it having burned away in his hand without him ever realizing his initial need for the sweet relief of nicotine was gone as well, and her coffee had been depleted, the now empty mug sitting comfortably in her hand while she leaned on her forearms over the railing.

She looked very much human, he mused, looking from under the protection of his shades. It was hard to see the supposed monster she proclaimed to be at first glance, or second, or even third for that matter. It may have been because she was no such thing, only a human with much more to her than just average. Her intelligence, her beauty, her fighting… everything was perfect… and that scared him.

Could he let himself fall for someone he still had so much to know about? Could he, the sixth deadliest man on earth, actually try and hold down some semblance of a relationship after so long?

He considered it for a moment, only for him to realize he didn't mind the situation too much. He didn't mind exchanging an addiction for another, especially one that intrigued him so.


End file.
